MacBook Pro EFI 2.2 Update Problem

Ok, it's been 2 weeks since I installed EFI 2.2 firmware. As stated here previously, I was on the phone with apple from Saturday through the following week and again on Monday. The next week, I took it to a local Apple Authorized repair shop on Tuesday. By Thursday they were unable to duplicate the issue. After working with my computer while still at the repair shop, I made it happen. All I did was scroll a window. (The issue, in case you don't want to look my previous messages up, is a black screen with a single line of pixels on the left side of the screen.Sometimes it just goes black, sometimes video gets distorted. On about 5 occasions over the 2 weeks period, I would get a Kernel Panic window. Every time the system is frozen.)

The technician at the repair shop tried replacing the RAM. This didn't seem to help. Over the weekend, it locked multiple times. So I returned it this morning (Monday following the second week after the EFI update) to the repair shop. They are very kind, and hopefully can repair it. I told them I was watching this and other threads here on Apple's discussion boards. Apparently, the only fix that works is to replace the main motherboard (or Logic board as Apple calls it). I just hope the Tech guy can reproduce the error and replaces the board soon! I'm so tired of having an unreliable system.

Well, I had the similar problems and it seemed to be solved by re-applying the firmware 2.2 update. However, the EFI 2.2 package refuses to re-update if it finds the machine is already updated to 2.2. Therefore, the update can only be done manually in the terminal.

Please also remember to "unplug" all peripherals such usb, external monitor, firewire, and ethernet.

Here are the procedures:

(1) please check whether the file exists:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/MacBookProEFIUpdate-2.2/MBP81_0047_1EB_LOCKED.scap

It shoudl be the image of EFI 2.2

(2) please open th terminal and type the following command:

sudo /usr/sbin/bless -mount / -firmware "/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates/MacBookProEFIUpdate-2.2/MBP81_0047_1EB_LOCKED.scap" --recovery --verbose

(3) Please enter your password and wait. There would be some messages pop in the window and the prompt will appear soon again.

(4) Type "reboot" to reboot the macbook pro

(5) A long low-tone chime, which is different from the chime for booting, will be heard. After the chime, the typical progress bar for updating firmware will appear on the screen.

(6) After the bar is over, the macbook pro will reboot soon and the whole procedure is over.

This command is collected from the "blessEFI" within EFI 2.2 package. The "bless" command seems not be fully documented and the option -firmware could not be found in the relevant man page.

Hope this post can also save you from the nightmare.

Awesome! An authorized Apple repair shop replaced my motherboard already. Funny thing - the first day I got it back, I recieved a notice that the 2.2 and thunderbolt updates needed to be applied. I've been saying NO!!! I do not want to go through this again. Also - just fyi, I had everthing unplugged when applying except ethernet. I didn't consider that an external device.

So, anyway - thanks for this! If I ever get brave enough to try this again...I'll keep your fix nearby. How did you figure this out? Are you an Apple technician or engineer? I'm a PC systems Architect for Lockheed Martin, in fact a Windows Product Manager for a contract site. I've owned 3 Macintosh systems (this is my 3rd, not counting the Macbook Air I had for a week before deciding I would rather have the Macbook Pro).

Anyway - I was stunned at how ignorant Apple support was of this even though it's all over their message boards. My phone support rep. even turned this over to the "engineers", and they told her to have me take it to a shop that it must be a hardware failure.

Truth is - My Mac and peripherals work beautifuly without these updates. 6gbps Sata is cool, but last night I checked the shelves of Best Buy and not a single drive that is 6gbps. I'm using a hybrid 3gbps and it screams. The only reason I didn't keep the AIR is becaue it uses a non-standard SSD form factor that I could not upgrade myself. Now they have 128gb in the 999 AIR, so it would be moot if I had waited. But, Who want's to wait for 6 months in hopes that Apple MIGHT double the hdd.

Anyway this is off topic - thanks again!

Well, I was inspired by some old article mentioned manually downgrade EFI on internet . After reading the article, I decided to check how apple did the EFI update by looking into the EFI pacakge and found the relevant scripts. Although I had the previoius bad experience of the updating but I suppose it would not be worse by another try. 😁

I am a physicist, and you know, physicists usually love to do some experiments, especially the stupid ones. 😉😝

kudo's to you sir, I tried it and it looks like it worked.

When it restarted the first time after the instal it did go into the turbo-fan-plus-no-response cycle but after a reset it boots up fine.

I'm going to test it for a few days and if this really solved the problem it saves me a logic board replacement.

BTW, the reboot command didn't work for me, I'm guessing that is because I'm using lion with it's "great" remember startup thingie <.<

I am also using lion and the command "reboot" should be available in your system. Would you mind to "man reboot" and you should see the corresponding man page.

It is a little bit weird. The "turbo-fan-plus-no-response cycle" did not appear after the automatic restart (also first restart) of the firmware upate in my case. But just hope your issue is solved, anyway.

By the way, there is one missing point that the "reboot" should be "sudo reboot". Otherwise, there would be an error message "Operation not permitted" pops up.

seems like it definitly worked, I rebooted my mbp rround 20 times and I cant reproduce the problem.

the reboot command indeed needs to be sudo reboot this is what i did wrong

thanks again man!

okay seems like my macbook is trolling me..

I think I have found a way to trigger the "turbo-fan-plus-no-response cycle" though, this only occurs when I restart my mac after intensive use..

lets say i'm playing a game and the fans are already blowing loudly if I restart my mac with the fans still blowing it always goes into TFPNR

if i restart normally or in any other situation it just works as it should.

I hope this brings apple a little closer to the fix for this problem

Thanks for the tip YHLien

My macbook pro 13" (2011) got the same problem (black screen, fans going nuts)... right after the EFI 2.2 update.

I just re-updated the EFI following your directions...

Let's see how it goes in the next few days...

I'll let you know...

I would say it is still not perfect. I mean that my macbook pro very occassionally failed to boot (black screen, fan screaming) but usually the second power cycle (power-off and then power-on again) worked. Before re-updating the firmware, I might try even up to 10 times to boot successfully.

Hi,

I got the same problem after the EFI update, what if my "Firmware Update" folder is empty ? Is that normal ?

mother board changed = problem solved

5PM: checking in my macbook at the apple store in Palo Alto

8PM: "your item is ready for pickup".

8:30PM : I was home with my fixed computer

wow.

Question: Has anyone who got their motherboard replaced been brave enough to run the EFI 2.2 and Thunderbolt update on their new motherboard? I keep getting prompted to do it by the software update program, but I'm very nervous about it.

Any experience out there successful and/or failed?

My Macbook has been solid as a rock without it except suddenly my bluetooth won't Pair with my devices now. I'm hoping it's just software because it will with apple keyboard, just not with my headset and/or MS Mouse that were all working fine until two days ago. 😟

After getting my motherboard replaced in only 3h, I was brave enough to do it.

Everything works fine like it was designed to.

It's a rare problem I guess, affecting only few motherboards...

My logic board is changed. I'll pick it up today, but I really don't know what will I do about firmware updates. Maybe they updated my firmware, I'll ask to them.